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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
• "Is that email a scam?" - Check it online here!
  
• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "transfer of your funds" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
  • "my direct line" (a "direct line" in a scam usually means an untraceable mobile phone number used by a scammer in an internet cafe, a redirection service number that forwards to a mobile or a free voicemailbox in a different country.)
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
• Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.
• This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +22998619330 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: Western Union Money Transfer <western-u-customercare02@msn.com>
Reply-To: <w.union-customercare@live.fr>
Date: Sat, 7 Mar 2009 08:33:06 +0000
Subject: YOUR PAYMENT DETAILS






ATTENTION:Receipient,

Please be informed that this funds are
coming directly from the International Monetary Funds headquarters and we are
only to pay beneficiaries once they meet their financial obligations.Also note
that Western Union is not allowed to make all payment at once via western union
money transfer due to the way the funds came to our headquarter and for security
reasons,upon of your fees and your International Remittance File purchased, you
are receiving a first pay-out of $10,000 USD which is made into two halves which
will enable you walk into any Western Union office close to you and pick up your
funds. Note that the remaining funds/payment will be made install mentally in
the following order:

1. $10,000 USD made payable to you from the Western
Union.
2. $850,000 USD made payable to you via bank wire transfer from our
designated paying bank.

Upon receipt of the fee for the purchasing of
your international remittance files, you are receiving your first pay-out of
$10,000.00 USD.

According to the Section 636(1) of the LPN CAF of the
1999 constitution regarding a contract like you will have to make the payment of
$120 USD so as to enable the purchasing of your inheritance
files to prevent illegal transfer of your funds or any form of
hindrance.

Here are details of your money transfer of $10,000 USD made
on your behalf but it has no receiver's name yet until you remit the $120 USD to us before we can purchase the inheritance files with
your name and put your name as the receiver.Meanwhile your receivers name is
highly needed. Below is the information you will use to send us the fee $120 USD Via western union.

RECEIVER
NAME:------------GODWIN CHIEDOZIE
OKECHUKWU
COUNTRY--------------------REPUBLIC OF
BENIN
CITY------------------------COTONOU
TEXT
QUESTION----------------TRANSFER
CODE?
ANSWER-------------------------001
MTCN#---------------------------

Then
after you made the payment, you can send the payment informations to our email
below together with your receivers name.

E-Mail:(w.union-customercare@live.fr)
Phone:+229-9861-9330

As soon as
we receive the payment of $120 USD from you and it's confirmed, we will put
your name as the receive of the funds and you will go to western union and pick
the money.
PAYMENT DETAILS MADE FOR YOUR CONFIRMATION!!!

Amount:
$5,000 USD
MTCN:624-819-4149

Amount:$5,000
USD
MTCN:895-375-3110

Sender`s First Name:GODWIN
Sender's Last
Name:OKECHUKWU

You can log onto our website www.westernunion.com and track your transfer and see that your
money is there but needed the above stated fee to redirect the transfer to you
for your easy pick up. Note that within 72hrs if you do not remit the required
$120 USD which has already been made ($10,000)It will be withdrawn back and
remember that the money details given to you does not bear your name as the
receiver until you make the payment of the $120 USD.

Get back to us
through our E-Mail:(w.union-customercare@live.fr) with the payment informations once you
made the payment also you can call on my direct line if you have any question
OK.

Call for confirmation of receipt of this message on
:+229-9861-9330
Have a good day.

Regards,
Mr. Christophe Lawson
(ESQ)
Western Union Payments

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam